Temptations denied
by Zadien
Summary: Amber's starting her second year in college. Problem, her old flame Kai has started and she's attracted to him all over again. But so is one of her friends. Will she betray her friend or her heart? KOC, TOC, JOC.
1. New

Hey here I am again. With a new fic.   
  
Temptations denied?  
  
By: Gems/Zadien  
  
Date started: 17th of September 2003  
  
Summary: Amber is in her second year at college with her friends. Things start to heat up when two new students transfer. Problem being one of them is her old flame, Kai. He cheated on her but still she's attracted to him. But despite that, she can't act on it, because one of her best friends likes him aswell, and she doesn't want to hurt her. So will Amber stay true to her friends, or will she follow her heart?   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or it's characters. I do however own Amber, and Ruin etc. Miyami belongs to my good friend and talented authoress ChibiTari. Check out her fic, it's awesome!  
  
Chapter one: New day.  
  
[Its a new day, but it all feels old.   
  
Its a good life, thats what i'm told.   
  
But everything it all just feels the same.   
  
And my high school: it felt more to me,   
  
like a jail cell; a penitentiary.   
  
My time spent there, it only made me see]  
  
Amber Benson adjusted the ear plug in her ear and hummed along, as she glided effortlessly through the small barriers which prevented cars from taking the route as a shortcut to the college. The song seemed apt enough to her, since she was heading back to college for her first day of her second year. Something she was both dreading and looking forward to. College life was long and hard with plently of work piled on top of each student, but with it came a chance to be with her friends who she'd been estranged from while she'd been home in Ireland. Not that she didn't love home. Of course she loved home, how couldn't she? Her mother lived there with her grandparents and her older cousin Bryan was there, for the moment anyway.   
  
[That I dont ever wanna be like you.  
  
I dont wanna do the things you do.  
  
Im never gonna hear the words you say  
  
Cause I dont ever wanna.  
  
I dont ever wanna be.]  
  
But there was something about Bakuten in Conneticut U.S.A. that she loved. The people were friendly, the scenary was beautiful and couldn't be beaten by anywhere else with it's rows of trees cascading over the pathways which sheltered the pedestrians from the suns hot rays and the sea which lapped at the shingled shores, it was paradise. The scenary was part of the reason she'd chosen to study there while the other reason was the chance to study Psychology. It was something she really had an interest in and while she could study it at home, she really didn't want to be that close to Scott Bishop after their pretty nasty break-up.   
  
[You... Dont wanna be just ike you  
  
What im sayin is this is the anthem  
  
Throw all your hands up  
  
you. dont wanna be you]  
  
What had he been thinking anyway?!, she wondered as she weaved through the crowds of reluctant returning students and nervous first years. Had he really believed that she would forgive him after cheating on her with her best friend? If he had then he was really, really naive. But that had been more than a year ago and she was over it. Hell, she'd even managed to be civil to him when she had met him in town while at home on vacation. She hadn't been exactly nice but she'd been civil, besides him cheating was nothing new to her. Not that he had done it before, but He had. She shook her head, she wasn't going to let someone who had hurt her three years ago and who was probably far away on the other side of the world, ruin her first day.   
  
[Go to college, a university  
  
Get a real job, thats what they said to me  
  
but i could never live the way they want  
  
im gonna get by and just do my time  
  
out of step while they all get in line.  
  
Im just a minor threat so pay no mind]  
  
Manoevering a tight corner she smiled up at the College which stood out against the cornflower blue of the September sky with it's Queen Anne red bricks over grown with Ivy, it really was a handsome sight. It had the power to take away all bad feelings. She sighed, breathing in the clean fresh air while tucking her black hair with the last inch or so dyed gold giving her an Egyptian look. Her ochre eyes took in the steady stream of students heading into the college via the revolving door which had plagued her existance since starting the college while other students loitered outside by the walls and benches. Boys and girls alike on Skateboards performed stunts on the paved surface and the steps while more adventurous ones attempted the railings.   
  
[Do you really wanna be like them  
  
do you really wanna be another trend  
  
do you wanna be part of that crowd.  
  
Cause i dont ever wanna.  
  
I dont ever wanna be you...]  
  
Amber stopped by the steps and removed her blades before replacing them with her trademarked lucky scuffed sneakers she'd worn all through secondary school, even though technically she hadn't been allowed to wear sneakers with her school uniform. At the thought of the dreaded outfit, she made a face. That uniform had haunted her dreams for many a night and when she'd finally completed her Leaving Cert, she'd gladly burned it by holding a ritual burning out in the field by her countryside home with the rest of her classmates.   
  
[You... Dont wanna be just ike you  
  
What im sayin is this is the anthem  
  
Throw all your hands up  
  
you. dont wanna be you]  
  
She jumped and to her credit managed to muffle a yelp when her phone vibrated. She still hadn't gotten use to the vibrate on it yet, since for most of the summer she'd had it on sound and before hand she'd had a totally different phone that hadn't had vibrate on it. So it would take her a while to get use to the buzz. Unclipping it from the waist of her very baggy jeans, she pressed a button which brought forth the message on the screen. 'WER DA FUCK R U?' Amber chuckled, she didn't even need to see who the message was from to know. With that kind of message and no greeting at the start, it could only be Ruin Mulryan -her best friend and room mate at college. She was loud opinionated and a general bitch to everyone, but her. To Amber she was like a big sister who wanted to look after the young Irish girl who supposedly hadn't got any idea of how life worked in America and with Ruin coming from New York, she figured she'd seen everything.   
  
[Shake it once thats fine  
  
Shake it twice thats okay  
  
Shake it three time you're playin with yourself]  
  
Amber smiled at the text and replied to Ruin. 'I'M OUTSIDE, WER R U?' She sent it back and headed towards the revolving door. Once inside she took a few minutes to adjust to the dimness of the corridor and to take in the group of new students asking for directions at the receptionists desk. Switching the strap of her shoulder bag to her other shoulder she jogged up the steps towards the second floor where the Social science notice boards were situated. With a small smile to the classmates she recognized she pushed her way to the front to check out her timetable. Her smile suddenly flopped.   
  
"Who the fuck had the bright idea to give us PPD first thing in the morning?!", She questioned outloud, not really expecting an answer but she got one anyway.  
  
"Baxter, wouldn't you know.", a smooth male voice said into her left ear.   
  
Glancing over her shoulder, her frown flipped again into a brilliant and warm smile. "Ray!", she almost squealed flinging her arms over the smiling and very hot Chinese boy who had first befriended her on those first few lonely weeks. With his brilliant gold eyes which reminded her so often of a cat and glossy black bangs to frame the strong male features, it wasn't hard to see why he had a long line of girls after him, but it was his charming and friendly personality which gave him a long line of friends and a steady girlfriend. Mariah Tanaka, another person to befriend Amber in her first year.   
  
"Hey Ami, how are you?"  
  
She shrugged then grimaced as her phone buzzed, alerting her to another SMS from her friend. "Well I would be fine if Ruin would stop texting me."  
  
Ray laughed; that good natured, heart felt, rumble of a laugh. "She still clucking over you like a mother hen?"  
  
Rolling her amber eyes, she texted back. "Yes. Do you think I should tell her that I've been in America for a good couple of months now and that I think I know Bakuten of by heart, so she doesn't need to babysit me anymore?"  
  
"No, don't do that. She'd get upset, if you did that.", he slipped a brotherly arm over her shoulder as they walked down the corridor littered with excited students.  
  
Amber rolled her shoulders to adjust to the comforting weight and walked beside him, quickening her pace to keep up with his long legged strides. "Is it me or do these corridors get more crowded each year?"  
  
"You've only been here for one year, you can't really be a judge of that."  
  
Amber sighed. "It was a rhetorical question Ray Kon, you should know what they are since you use them enough."  
  
"Do you think so?", his gold eyes hinted at his laughter even though his face was thoughtful.  
  
"Har Har.", she replied dryly as she folded her arms. "So have you seen Oliver?"  
  
Oliver Dupont was another friend and classmate who she had bonded with. He was very likeable. Friendly and polite, though he tended to be somewhat arrogant when he pointed someones flaws, but he only did that to help the person better themselves. His violet eyes were always filled with warmth and intellect while his delicate bone structure gave him the appearance of a porceline doll -Amber just blamed it on his French background. His hair was bright lime green and a tad bit long for her liking but then he was batting for the other team so that wasn't really a problem with them. He was also very stylish, and had a better dress sense than most females never mind males.  
  
"No I haven't yet, you?"  
  
"If I had, I wouldn't have asked, now would I?"  
  
He chuckled again. "I guess not."  
  
They continued down the steps laughing and joking about everything that had happened when they went home for the holidays. Both of them had that in common, being total foreigners in a strange country. Amber's only advantage was that she could speak English fluently and that Ireland wasn't that much different to America. While Ray had to learn English, though he had learned it before, it took a while to become fluent.   
  
They walked out the exit behind the cafeteria to wear the smokers gave in to their cravings. Amber glanced at Ray who was wrinkling his nose in disgust. Amber made a face and grabbing his arm dragged him away from them. It was common for the smokers to crowd around the fire escape, though she always found it very ironic. As they walked along the paved route back to the main door, a figure zig zagged crazily past them.  
  
"Hey, guys. A little help if you don't mind."  
  
Both of them exchanged glances. "Tyson.", they said in unison, before chasing after the out of control teen.  
  
***  
  
While the pair of them were returning to school, another figure stood staring up at the new college she'd be attending for the next couple of years. Being a first year at a new college was tough, diverting to a new college to start year two was tougher, Miyami Kinomiya mused. After all, in first year you were surrounded by others who were in the same boat; while this year, she was completely on her own. Someone sighed heavily behind her, and she smirked. Well not completely alone. Turning, she observed the tall bluenette standing there in a snug black T-shirt and a pair of jeans.  
  
"Something wrong, Sharky?"  
  
The boy, or maybe she should say man, raised a slate blue brow and regarded her with dark cherrywood eyes. "This place looks boring, silver.", his smooth deep voice carried the words to her.   
  
Miyami raised her silver eyes to take in the building in front of her. "Well it has to be better than the other place, Kai. Besides Tyson goes here."   
  
Kai snorted at that. "If that's our only reason for deferring here, Silver, then I'm turning around and driving out here right now."  
  
Miyami glared at him. It didn't matter how good a friend Kai was, he just could never be nice about her cousin. "Well then Tala is here aswell."  
  
Tala Valkov had been their best friend in high school but he had chosen to come to Bakuten University while Miyami and Kai Hiwatari had chosen to remain close to home by attending Westmoor University. But they had both decided to deferr since they were unhappy with the way their courses were planning out there, and with Tala constantly plugging the place it was easy to choose to go there. She hadn't seen him in along time and she looked forward to seeing him again.   
  
Miyami frowned looking at the various students brushing past here. This university was more busier than her old uni. It seemed to her that everyone was in too big a hurry to get to their lectures on time. Last year, even though it had been her first year, she'd never been in that big of a hurry to get to lectures. Instead she was more often found lounging round the cafe or the coffee shops with Kai and her other friends Malo and Chaya, but both of them were back at Westmoor.   
  
"This place better have a coffee shop.", she grumbled as she took a step forward, moving closer to the door.   
  
Pausing she glanced back over her shoulder. "Are you coming, Kai?"  
  
The Russian bluenette glared at the building. "Tala better be fucking in here, Silver."  
  
The silver haired girl rolled her eyes. "Of course he will be.", then silently added. "At least I hope so."  
  
She hefted her knapsack on her shoulders and was about to proceed with the rest of the students into the building, when a blurred figure caught her attention.  
  
"Move out of the way. Coming through. Not sure how to stop.", the youth on a skateboard yelled at the pedestrians as he swerved around them, it was only at the last moment, that he noticed that he was going to collide with the silver haired girl.   
  
Miyami's eyes widened as she watched the navy headed boy hurtle head on towards her. The only thing she could think about was how embarrassing it would be, to be knocked unconcious by a guy on an out of controll skateboard.   
  
Behind her Kai cursed under his breath, and with his quick reflexes kicking in, he grabbed his younger friends arm and pulled her out of harms way. The boy raced past them and collided with the railing, while the skateboard glided out from under his feet and straight beneath the silver metal 'n' shaped pole. The pole lodged in the teens stomach, bringing a slow moan from his throat. Miyami and Kai both winced, then fury over took the pity and Kai stormed over to the boy hauling him off the bar he had wound himself around.   
  
"Look where you're going in future. You almost killed her!", he snarled at the boy, then his mahogany eyes widened as the other teen stared up at him dazed. "Tyson?"  
  
Miyami's eyes snapped open. Tyson? Her cousin Tyson? He was the person who had nearly run her over? Typical. Shaking her head she marched over to Kai and her cousin in time to hear her cousins goofy reply.   
  
"Hey Kai, is Mimi with you?"  
  
"Barely.", Kai grunted as Miya laid her arm on his arm, warning him not to harm her cousin in anyway. She could do it very well herself should she need to.  
  
With a disgusted growl, he released Tyson and watched with satisfaction as the smaller; by a few inches; youth fell to the ground. Then grumbling something about going to find Tala, he stalked off. Miyami watched him leave and rolled her eyes, before turning back to her woe-be-gone cousin.   
  
"Ouch.", Tyson mumbled rubbing his backside while clambouring to his feet, then exclaiming. "Mimi!", at the top of his voice, he launched himself at his younger; by a couple of months; cousin.  
  
Miyami sighed heavily, watching her cousin rub his navy eyes, disorientatedly. "Tyson, haven't you learned how to control that board yet?"  
  
Before Tyson could reply, when there a was a shout behind them followed by rushed footsteps. Both of them turned round to catch sight of two figures racing towards them. Miaymi frowned, wondering what the hell the two of them were in such a hurry for. She took in the male member of the pair coming towards them. He was tall, maybe just as tall as Kai, and very lean. His hair was raven black with bangs lifted back from his eyes from a read head band decorated with the symbol of ying and yang. His face was strong and handsome and of Chinese origins, with liquid gold eyes. His eyes reminded her of that of a cat. He was dressed in a white sweatshirt, a black short sleeved shirt, and black baggy pants over black boots. She made a noise of approval, he wasn't bad looking but she preferred Red heads. Of course if all the red head guys in the school looked like the guy running towards her then maybe she wouldn't mind so much staying at this college after all.   
  
Before she could have time to even look at the female member of the duo her vision was obstructed by Tyson. She frowned somberly. She didn't like it when anyone blocked her view. The running feet came to a stop in front of them, and she could hear that both were slightly out of breath.  
  
"Christ Tyson, I thought you'd really lost it this time. You're such an eejit at times.", the girl snapped with a slight accent.   
  
Miyami bristled as she heard the way the girl spoke to her cousin. Pushing herself past her cousin she looked the girl up and down. "Who are you?"  
  
A black brow rose over the eloquent ochre eyes. "Amber Benson, you?"  
  
"Miyami Kinomiya.", she said shortly.  
  
Amber tossed a glance from Tyson to Miyami and back to Tyson. "You know her?"  
  
"He's my cousin. How do you know him?", Miyami's voice remained cool and hostile.  
  
Amber's suspicious expression disappeared and was replaced by something a little warmer. "Oh, in that case; nice to meet you. I'm one of Tyson's friends, and he would tell you that, 'cept he's a bit out of it."  
  
Miyami raised a brow at the sudden change in the ebony haired girl. The change had been swift and generally Miyami didn't trust people who could change so quickly, but she also realized that Amber had snapped at Tyson since she was worried about him. And if she was friends with Tyson, then Miyami couldn't hold anything against her. After all, she probably would have said something along the same lines to her hard headed cousin.  
  
"Nice to meet you. By the way, who's your friend?", she motioned to the other boy who Amber seemed to have currently forgotten about.  
  
She glanced at Ray sheepishly. "Oops, sorry. This is Ray Kon, Ray this is-"  
  
"I heard.", Ray said with a welcoming smile as he looked at the girl in front of him. She too had slighty elongated canines, but unlike himself she had canine qualities while he had feline qualities. Her hair was long and silver streaked with pink, green and black which fell freely down her back. Her eyes matched her hair, pure silver. Her facial features, along with the canine features, showed Japanese origins. And she was cute too, but in a rebel sort of way. Her skin was pale and totally natural, not covered in make-up. Two ear rings graced each ear while a spiked ring pierced her left eye brow. She wore baggy skater jeans and a white mesh tank top over a black normal tank top. She looked like someone who would fit in perfectly with their group. Before he could make another comment to put her at her ease, another figure rushed up.   
  
"What's goin' on with ye all?", a thick european accent cut through the buzz of conversation surrounding them.  
  
Amber glanced at the person who interrupted and her smile became warmer. "Hey, it's the Highlander. How was the summer?"  
  
Miyami frowned. Who the hell was the Highlander? But one thing was for sure, she thought as she surveyed the teen in front of them, he was incredibly hot. And a red head too. Big bonus for him. His reddish hair was shaped like a flame and held in position by a blue bandanna. His face was sharp and angulated softened only by a pair of gorgeous, intense lilac eyes, which were; to her surprise; watching her too. Miyami felt very self concious with the guy studying her. He was slightly taller than her, and very athletic, and confident. She could see that by how he observed her withtout a hint of humility. He wore a pair of canvas pants, a blue t-shirt and a tan long sleeved jacket. He looked casual but still completely hot.   
  
Amber watched the interraction with amusement. It had been a long time since Johnny had taken an interest in a girl who hadn't bleached blonde hair and an IQ of -100. It was nice to see, but still embarrassing him would also be nice. He was making the girl feel awkward, heck she'd feel awkward.   
  
She cleared her throat. "Johnny, you still in there?!"  
  
Johnny snapped out his thought and his cheeks grew warm as he realized he'd been caught staring at the girl who'd been staring at him. It wasn't as if he wasn't use to girls staring at him, but this one had sparked his interest. By both her attire and by the spiked ring through her eyebrow.   
  
He glared angrily at his supposed friend, who just loved embarrassing him. "Yeah Sae, how's it going? And my summer was cold."  
  
Miyami glanced from him to Amber then back to him. "Sae?"  
  
Amber smirked. "That's Scotlands nick name for me, thinks it bothers me but it doesn't."  
  
"It use to.", the Scottish youth shot back.  
  
"Not anymore. Now it's old.", she smiled sweetly. "Oh and Johnny the girl you were staring at is Miyami Kinomiya, Miyami this is Johnny McGregor."  
  
"Miyami's my cousin.", Tyson suddenly spoke up covering up Johnny's muttering about how she was staring at him too.  
  
Johnny stared at him and his queasy face. "What happened to you?"  
  
"He skated right in to the railings over there.", Ray answered.  
  
  
  
Johnny winced. That, he assumed, would have to hurt. Then he turned back to the girl. "Nice to meet you Miyami, 'bout time we had some decent females in this place.", he flashed her a grin.  
  
Miyami stared at him, slightly taken aback, but none the less returned the smile. "You don't know me, how do you know I'm decent?"  
  
Johnny's grin widened. "Amber hasn't torn your hair out yet."  
  
"I'd like to see her try.", she said in a no-nonsense tone, then added. "But if she did, I'd have to kill her, and I don't think either of us would like that."  
  
Amber watched with fascination as the girl stood her ground against Johnny's charms. She had shown interest in him, but she hadn't swooned at the first sight of Johnny's smile. And she had seen many fall for the potent grin. She was gaining more and more respect for Tyson's cousin.   
  
"I think you'll fit in very well here.", Ray concluded.   
  
The silver haired girl kept her gaze on the Scottish youth. "Nice to know."  
  
"Ye know, I was just thinking that myself.", Johnny returned, with a mock glare at Ray.   
  
"I already have a girlfriend, J."  
  
"Defensive aren't we Ray?"  
  
"Guys break it up.", Amber advised then turning to Tyson who was clutching his stomach asked. "Hey are you ok?"  
  
"No, I need foooood!", he groaned.   
  
Miyami grinned. Tyson would never change. But, funnily enough even though he ate constantly, he had actually trimmed down since his chubby early teenage years, though his mouth was still as big as ever. His cloudy navy eyes were always filled with determination. His navy hair was a lot shorter, but he still wore his trademark red, white and blue baseball cap. It was a present from hid dead Mother and he treasured it, more than anything else. Once some boys in his class had stolen it; while they were on a school trip to the musem; and hid it in a sarcophagus, knowing about his slight phobia of dead people. Tyson had braved his fears and had climbed in to get it. She had been so proud of him that day, for confronting his fears. She nodded her approval of his clothes. He was wearing a pair of navy baggy pants, sneakers and a red t-shirt sporting the name of a band on it in big, bold, letters.   
  
"Well I guess we better find you some food.", she said slinging an arm over his shoulder and leading him towards the revolving door. "My treat and then you can fill me in on everything that has happened since you came to America, and how come you never came home this summer?"  
  
"What I want to know is, how the hell can he eat?!", Johnny wondered watching the cousins walk off, then shook his head. "On second thoughts, it's Tyson. Doesn't matter the circumstances, he can always find time for food."  
  
Amber chuckled slipping her arm through Johnnys'. "Come on, we've got to go to the induction."  
  
Johnny rolled his eyes. "I thought they would have done that the day we registered. Besides, we already had our induction last year. What more do we need to know?"  
  
"To be a good role model to all first years?", Ray suggested, walking beside them scanning the crowds for the brilliant pink hair of his grilfriend. "Besides Freshers week starts this week, they'll probably just inform us on everything that'll be happening."  
  
The only female member of their group shuddered. "God yeah, we'll get that speech."  
  
They moved through the throng of people aknowledging other classmates while ignoring people they didn't like, always keeping a look out for other friends. Johnny glanced at the piece of paper in his hands. Supposedly the second years were to get their inductions in rooms 1101 and 1104, at various times to cover the number of students. He sighed leading his friends to the 'street' the main corridor in which the bank, cafeteria, student union and doctors were situated as well as the main lecture theatres.   
  
"Psychology 102 takes place in room 1104 at 11.30.", he informed them.  
  
Amber glanced at her watch and grimaced. "That's in 20 minutes."  
  
"Well we should wait here so that we can get a good seat. I really don't want to be down in the front for the induction."  
  
She nodded at Ray. "Good point. At least in the back we can fall asleep. Hey I wonder where Ruin is?", she added as she pulled out her baseball cap. Essential material for lectures since the brim would shield her closed eyes.  
  
"Is she here, yet?"  
  
"Yeah she texted me earlier to ask where I was, and later to tell me to get my butt in gear.", she told her red headed friend.  
  
"Is she still pissed with Tala?"  
  
"After what he did to her, wouldn't you be?", Amber's voice was ripe with incredulity, then she looked down at the ground. "I wish they'd talk about it though, I hate the pair of them fighting."  
  
Johnny squeezed her shoulders, understanding her pain. She understood what Ruin was going through, but Tala was also a friend of hers. She'd also been the one to get them together, so she felt guilty for that. She'd been so sure they were perfect for each other, and he had agreed with her. But Tala had let his hormones get the better of him and while drunk he'd made out with Ruin's mortal enemy; Clover Nixon; and Ruin had caught him red handed. That had been about a week before the end of the semester, so they hadn't had time to sort things out, and with the summer break; things would have gone too far to be solved by talking things out.  
  
"Hey is that Tahnee?", Ray interrupted pointing to a girl with long red hair streaked with black talking to a group of guys.  
  
Amber's face broke into a grin. "Yeah. Hey Tahnee!"  
  
Tahnee Gallagher was another one of their friends. She was from England so she had that in common with Johnny and Amber, since both of them frequented around the same time line as she did. She was tall and leggy, a model figure that could look elegant in a pair of jeans and sweatshirt, though she was never found to be wearing such clothes, that was more Beth's style. Tahnee preferred designer clothes, and today she wore a woolen grey halter neck, midrift top; a pair of Levi, boot leg jeans with a pair of snake skin ankle boots. Her short hair was tucked behind her ears by a clasp so that it couldn't fall into her face. Her emerald green eyes which were darkened with black eye liner, scanned the crowds from where her name was called. On catching sight of Amber she smiled revealing two rows of pearly white teeth, and she waved them over.  
  
"I don't like her.", Johnny grumbled but shut up when Amber glowered at him. "I'll shut up now."  
  
"Hey Tahnee, ready for another year of Pyschology?"  
  
Tahnee rolled her eyes. "Yeah, about as ready as I am to suck eggs. Bloody hell, my mother thinks that I'm a genius for studying this subject, but I keep trying to tell her that it isn't that hard. Just common sense really."  
  
Johnny rolled his eyes listening to her ladee-da accent. The girl drove him insane. She was a genuine nut case, more likely to be a patient than a pyschologist. But she'd probably drive the psychologist into an early retirement. Then again people would just cure themselves to stop going to her. He brightened as he caught sight of Miyami making her way through the crowd towards them. She smiled slightly as she caught his eye. Moving closer to her and away from Tahnee he latched on to her as though she were a life line.   
  
"Hey where are you heading?"  
  
Miyami sighed, not bothering to remove the boys hand from her arm. "To find Sharky, he went searching for a mutual friend, and I have to find him before heading to get resgistered."  
  
"You didn't get resigistered last week?"  
  
She shook her head, then tucked a stray strand of silver behind her ear. Johnny watched her fascinated. "We weren't in the country until yesterday morning, so as you can guess I'm still really tired, but we also missed registration."  
  
"Ah right. Well, I can't tell you were you'll be. What course are you studying?"  
  
"Psychology and Sociology.", she said still scanning the crowds for Kai so she didn't have to meet those intense eyes. It was as though he could look right into her soul, and she didn't like the vunerability she felt because of him.  
  
"That's what I'm studying. The main lecturer is a bit of a quack, but you'll get use to him or be bored to death trying. Anyway, just remember this number because you'll probably have induction here.", he said pointing to the sign with the number on it.  
  
"1104, right got that. Well I'm going to find Kai. Kami-sama only knows what he's got himself into.", she muttered under her breath, then offering him a brief smile as a farewell she continued down the 'street'.  
  
***  
  
How does Kai know Amber?(here's a hint, check out the summary) Has anyone else noticed that I never introduce Ruin in the first chapter? Maybe I don't want to scare anyone away. Oh and b4 I forget, check out Animerle's fic: For the love of Kane. It's good and guest stars Amber. Hehehe, she's getting around isn't she? 


	2. Desires renewed

A.N. Thank you everyone who reviewed and special thanks to Tari who ordered you all to read. *shakes finger at regular reviewers* Tsk, Tsk. Anyway here ya go: chapter two. First of all reviewers.   
  
ice-queen66: I do hope you have fun with this fic, because I'm having fun reading it. You'll get to find out more about the old flame thing with Kai in this chapter. Hope you like.   
  
Leina: Well as much as I'd love to make Kai able to dissolve into thin air, I can't. But seemingly ff.net can do that with part of my fic. What I'm trying to say is that Kai should have seen Amber in the first chapter, but ff.net screwed up. Soz.  
  
Pissed-timistic: Love the name. Nope this hasn't anything to do with L/H.  
  
AzN*PyRo*ArCaDa: One of my fave reviewers. It's nice coming home from college to get a review from you. Gives me a mile wide grin. I hope you've gotten over your sickness.   
  
ChRiSTiZ: I don't think it's corny. I happen to think it's cool. I like reading about Ambers exploits in ChibiT's fic and Animerle's fic oh and Sae's fic. It's fun to see her from the point of a reader, she's not bad is she? And I like taking control of Miyami for a while as well. Hehehe! Kai was supposed to see Amber in the last chapter. Pity that ff.net screwed up.   
  
Spitfire_Sae: WAI Spitty! Yeah yeah I know ff.net screwed up. Kai was supposed to see Amber in the last chapter, but oh well. I placed that part at the start of this chapter so that people don't have to go back and read it. But anyway review again, Sae.  
  
DivaLicious89: Yeah I think Johnny and Miyami are a perfect couple. =P  
  
hiwatari-gurl: I'm glad you like it after only the first chapter.   
  
Hiwatari's woman: Kai's getting around a bit ain't he. Hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
Curtis Zidane Ziraa: No I'm not that far a head of myself. This plot was just dancing round in my head and I figured that I could weave a good story round it. I hope I will.  
  
Krixel: I just thought that that song by Good Charlotte was really approriate, besides I'm a GC fan myself. But they were treated like shit at one of the festivals in England not so long ago. Bottles were thrown at them, but then they kept telling people to aim at will. They handled it really well.   
  
chubbycheekz: I will continue to update L/H, I'll just be pacing myself through the updates. But I can't leave L/H, I love it too much.  
  
Rayne_Neko_Punk: Glad you like it, hope this chapter goes down just as well.   
  
***This should have been part of chapter one, but alas ff.net screwed up. So here we'll start.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So this is the great college you were telling me about?", Kai questioned sipping his coffee.  
  
His red headed friend beside him nodded, tucking into his breakfast. "Yep, this is the B.U."  
  
Kai made a face at the greasy fry up his friend was eating. What was it with American's and there fatty foods? Everything was fried, it made his stomach churn thinking off eating something that greasy so early in the morning. Though technically he was usually up earlier most mornings, but with sharing a flat with Miyami and staying up late with her to beat the shit out of her on the playstation 2, he was rising late. Damn girl wanted a rematch every single night. He longed for when Tala would finally move in with them, then Tala could take her on, while he got some sleep.   
  
If Tala ate that every morning, he went back to his original thought, how did he manage to stay in shape? Tala, like himself, was tall, lean and well built with broad shoulders. Red hair was shaped like two wings on either side of his head with two bangs framing his pale but sharply aristocratic face. His eyes were crystal blue and piercing, full of a brazen intellect. He wore a black T-shirt today with black pants, over a pair of black boots, which covered his lean muscular frame.   
  
"So what do you think of the place so far?", Tala's smooth voice cut through his thoughts.  
  
"I'm just wondering where everyone's hurrying off to?"  
  
Tala cursed in Russian under his breath. "I should be heading off too."  
  
Kai looked at him. "Since when did you ever want to be early for a class?"  
  
Tala smirked. "I have induction and I need to see a few people. But for the moment, it's great to see you, man. What do you think of America so far?"  
  
The bluenette looked about him at the various groups of people. There was a social ladder here, something he hated. You had your jocks, your preps, your players, your geeks and nerds, and then there were the outcasts. They were in every school, in every generation, but he got bored of it. They should all have grown up at this stage, but they wouldn't yet. He had once been a player himself, but with Miyami as one of his best friends he was often found with the outcasts.   
  
"It's like Japan. Except for the language."  
  
"You know English, so you're fine.", Tala pointed out with his fork, then he trailed off with a grin as he watched a familiar silver headed girl wander blindly past them. "I think Miya's looking for you."  
  
Kai looked up from staring at his coffee and grinned. "Well Silver will have a long time searching for me down that direction."  
  
He followed her with his gaze and frowned as she talked to a red head. Damn another red head he'd have to protect her from. Though Miyami would hate to hear him say he was protecting her from anything, since she believed she could take care of anything, and generally she could, but he still liked to keep an eye on her. His gaze traveled to a dark haired girl not to far from his friend. She was petite and slim as a willow, but since she had her back to him, he couldn't be sure it was her. But she sure looked like her. Turning to Tala, he motioned to her.  
  
"Who's the girl with the Chinese guy beside her?"  
  
Tala jerked his head over to where his friend was looking, a fond smile gracing his mouth. "That's Benny."  
  
Kai cast him a blank look. "Oh I mean, she's Amber Benson."  
  
Tala was so busy staring at his friend, that he didn't see the flicker of recognition or the small smirk that lighted up his best friends face. If that indeed was the Amber Benson, he'd once known, then things here in America may turn out to be a lot more fun than imagined.   
  
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Chapter two: Desires renewed.  
  
By: Gems/Zadien  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or the characters, but I do own Amber and the girls except Miyami belongs to ChibiTari, the bestest authoress in the world and Skip belongs to Sae.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Could she be any slower?", Amber groaned.   
  
She was waiting for Tahnee to exit the bathroom. The girl had gone in there not ten minutes ago and she still hadn't emerged. God, what was taking her so long? They were supposed to be in the lecture theatre right now for their induction, instead she was standing in the now almost empty street. Nearly everyone was in induction which was exactly where she should be, right now. But Tahnee had to touch up her make-up because she was looking for a man this term. Like that was anything new.  
  
Her gaze traveled to the notice board on the wall opposite her. There was a flyer advertising Fresher week, and mentioned that there would be live bands in the canteen every day from twelve to two. A bright grin lit up her face. Johnny would really like this. She frowned. Then again maybe not. Robert had quit, Enrique had sprained his wrist and Oliver said he didn't have time to practice anymore. So Johnny and Ruin were the only one left in the band, but she figured that Johnny would find someone soon, just not in time to play in Freshers week. Pity. It was great publicity.  
  
Her gaze flicked to a group of guys staring at her. Disgust flooded her. Why on earth did they stare at her, continually. Usually it didn't bother her, but she was on her own in an empty corridor when usually she wasn't. She glanced back and watched as the door to her lecture theatre opened and then closed again as a gang of girls went into the room. Amber cast a look at the watch on her wrist. It was now fifteen minutes since she'd last seen Tahnee, and if she didn't hurry up, no doubt Ruin would send a search party after her.   
  
"God damn her!", she cursed.  
  
"Yeah goddamn her to hell.", another voice added.  
  
Amber whirled round ready to tell the intruder to piss off, but then her face split into a large grin. "Skip!"  
  
"Amber!", the other girl grinned.   
  
Technically her name was Sonia Martini from California, but Ruin nicknamed her Skip because she couldn't stand still. People would look at Skip and Amber and say they were complete opposites. Skip was slightly taller, athletic, addicted to sports. Her hair was a mixture of reds and golds. Dark garnet hair spilled down her back to just above her shoulder blades when she tied it away from her face. The top of her hair was a slighty more dark strawberry blonde colour streaked with garnet and blonde, while the bangs were garnet with gold ends. All in all her hair was an interesting feature. Her sapphire blue eyes were framed by solid black frames. Her face was a typical california bronze, with a healthy flush along her cheeks. There were three small stylish silver hoops looped through her lower lobes. Even her clothes sense was totally different. She wore a pale blue polo-neck t-shirt, with a pair of sea blue tie-dye bottoms which ended just under the knee, and silvery blue sneakers, not scuffed like Ambers but brand new, a gift from her sponsors. Skip was on the track team and was captain of the girls soccer team as well as being an A-student, something Amber would definetly never be.   
  
"So how were your state finals? I wanted to watch but I don't have Sky."  
  
"Sky?", Skip frowned at the unfamiliar term.  
  
"Oh satelite, cable."  
  
The all American girl grinned. "Oh right, but it wasn't important enough to be on TV, Ams."  
  
Amber merely shrugged. "So how did it go?"  
  
"Oh we got bronze. Could've done better but our star runner was out with a cold."  
  
"Ouch. That's kind of tough. So your back here to do another course of sports science?"  
  
"Yep, and a piece of Pyscology.", at Amber's blank face, she added. "It's so I understand the psychology of the sport and also so I can understand the sports players themselves."  
  
"Uh-huh. Sorry thatjust went, whoosh, way over my head."  
  
Skip laughed softly. "I understand. So how was your hols?"  
  
The Irish woman rolled her eyes. "Well there were some great concerts, like Slane and there was a metallica, Linkin Park and darkness concert I wanted to go to, but couldn't get tickets. But my friend went and bought me a souvenir. So I had to make do."  
  
Her friend made a sympathetic face. "Too bad, that would majorly suck. So apart from that, your hols were as boring as mine then?"  
  
"Not boring, just tiring. I was working for most of the summer in a pub in town. We got some rowdy crowds in on a Saturday evening, so by Sunday morning I was totally bushed. I couldn't be bothered to go out on the times I had off."  
  
"I can understand."  
  
"Hey you didn't happen to see Beth around did you?"  
  
"Probably with Michael.", the blonde brushed it off.  
  
Amber raised a black brow. "Really?"  
  
"Oh right, you weren't there. I keep forgetting that. Michael and Beth hooked up over the summer. She was cheerleading for his baseball team and so they became closer over that. And he rescued her from some hormone crazed ass wipe one night after a game and things just progressed from there."  
  
Amber smiled, but inside she was worried. Michael was a friend of hers, sure, but he happened to be a player and Beth was really the fragile one of the group. She was from California too and was the quiet member of the group. She was always ready to listen to people but she never liked to force people to listen to her opinion; if they wanted it, they would ask. She was also the logical member, she liked to think before she acted, so she balanced Ambers active side. Amber liked to think that the phrase 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.', applied to the two of them. Beth was the angel, Amber was the fool.   
  
As though she could read the Irish girls thoughts, Skip quickly added in her two pence worth. "They're really good together. Michael really watches out for her. You should see the two of them together. They're so sweet. Michael's so soft when it comes to her, he bends to her every wish."  
  
"And if you don't get those stars out of your eyes, Skip, you're gonna run into a wall.", Amber sighed. "I know that Michaels your best friend and I'm sure he's really......well I'll be watching him."  
  
Skip nodded. "Ok. Well I gotta go. Shouldn't you be heading into induction?"  
  
Amber rolled her ochre eyes. "Yes, but someone won't hurry her skinny white ass up."  
  
"Um, ok."  
  
"Hello!", a chinese girl with bright pink hair and startling twany eyes jumped into the conversation."  
  
"Hey Mari, long time no see."  
  
"How was China?", Skip followed Ambers question up with one of her own.  
  
Miriah Tanaka was Ray Kons girlfriend. She was chinese with showed in her features, but no one could quite figure out where she'd got her colouring from. Not many Chinese people had natural pink hair and tawny eyes. Well maybe the pink hair wasn't totally natural but it suited her and her bubbly attitude. Where as her gold cat like eyes were perfect for her wild cat anger. She had tons of energy but her anger could be easily risen if she or one of her friends were insulted. She was also a cheerleader but she didn't fit the stereotype. She wore a black silk chinese top with a gold embroidered design up the front right, and plain white skirt that fell below her knees. Her small feet were covered with a pair of plain black shoes. Very demure and not at all like Mari, obviously her room mate had something to do with her clothing choice, Amber decided.   
  
Mari screwed her cute face up in disgust. "Oh it was great if you count being made to bring your annoying cousin back here with you. I don't mind Lee, honestly I don't. In fact it was nice to have Lee here to look out for me, but Kevin? Kevin is evil.", she fumed, though her eyes were warm with affection. "Though he is cute when he's defensive."  
  
Skip and Amber exchanged anxious glances, then froze as she pinned the irish woman with her gaze. "You won't like him." It was a statement, plain and true.   
  
Amber looked mildly offended. "Surely I'm not that bad."  
  
"More like he's that bad. No doubt he'll take to annoying you."  
  
Amber eyes widened, then narrowed. "Why?"  
  
"He'll think your accents funny.", Mari said with a shrug, then in the next breath asked. "Hey is Ray in already? I've really missed him."  
  
"Didn't you see him over the summer?", Skip wondered.  
  
"Of course I did.", Mari replied in a tone that suggested that it was preposterous that she wouldn't see Ray. "I just haven't seen him today."  
  
Skip smiled. "Oh that's so sweet."  
  
Mari smiled while ignoring Ambers gagging noises. "And I'll tell you more sweet things while we head in to the lecture. Coming Am's?"  
  
"Pssh, I wouldn't want to hear anything more to so with you and Ray. It's too early in the morning for me to lose my breakfast."  
  
Mari stared at her. "Well if I promise not to mention my realationship will you come?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"She's gotta wait for someone.", Skip explained keeping the peace as her eyes searched the crowded canteen at the end of the corridor.  
  
"Who?", Mari demanded eagerly. "Is it a boy?"  
  
Amber rolled her eyes to heaven while shaking her head. "No, I'm not dating anyone Mari." How many times the previous year had she had that conversation with the boy mad chinese girl. It drove her insane. Especially as Mari had decided to don her cupid role and try to help her out by shoving her into the lap of every unsuspecting boy. Most of the year had been spent trying to apologize for her Mari's behaviour, cooling her flushed cheeks and bat away unwelcome groping hands.   
  
"Ugh, still? Amber, I'm going to have to get-"  
  
"Ok Mari, before Amber kills you, I'm going to escort you into the lecture and your going to tell me all about your summer with Ray.", Skip stepped in catching sight of Ambers dark expression of pending doom.  
  
Reluctantly Mari allowed herself to be led away though why her help wasn't welcomed she didn't understand. Amber was about to search her bag for her life line, her disman, when a voice froze her.  
  
"If looks could kill Mari'd be six feet under."  
  
***  
  
Kai watched the interaction with interest as Amber whirled round and launched herself into Tala's waiting arms. While he'd waited for Tala to finish his breakfast, he'd gotten Tala, subtly, to divulge information on his dark haired ex; all the while he'd kept an eye on her as she talked to various friends. Jelously had been his first reaction when he caught sight of the look on Tala's face as he talked about her, that was soon followed by relief as he realized they were only friends, disgust had rounded up the emotions. Disgust at his own emotions. It had been three years since he'd seen her. Since he'd broken up with her. Three long and very interesting years, and he'd gotten over her. Well so he thought he had. Sure he still thought of her from time to time. Miyami often reminded him off her, maybe that was why he enjoyed the silver girls company, well at the start anyway. Of course Miyami had a tendency to grow on people and he couldn't imagine life without her now. Amber on the other hand was a very different matter.   
  
He had gone to Ireland when he'd been sixteen. It had been an exchange programme his grandfather had sent him on. He'd felt that Kai could learn a lot from such a small country that had such great links with America and Great Britain and of course Europe. So Kai had gone, but begrudingly. He'd be staying with the Bensons, and almost immediately he'd been at logger heads with the Bensons only child and daughter, Amber Marie. Part of his problem had been his initial attraction to her, and his annoyance at her vocal disgust of him. Everything had changed when he'd let his emotions rule him. He had kissed her, and he thought with a fleeting smile, she'd kissed him back. And for a girl who didn't like him, she'd kissed him with as much enthusiasm as Kai had. It had been easy to let his emotions rule in Ireland. He'd been so far from home and if anything went pearshaped then he could always escape. Problem was things hadn't gone pearshaped. They'd gone right. Too right.   
  
Things between them had been very hot, very erotic. It had been as though he'd uncovered a volcanoe and it had errupted in his arms the minute he'd touched her. He'd never been matched so perfectly before, so perfectly that he'd never thought of straying from her. In fact he could see himself not leaving her, but staying in Ireland away from Russia and his Grandfather just to be with her. It had scared him. He was a player, he wasn't use to wanting someone so totally and completely. He'd gotten scared, especially when she'd talked to him about going to Russia sometime, so he'd hurt her. Pushed, not that wasn't the right word; forced, yeah, he'd forced her away. And he'd hurt her. He'd seen it in her eyes the day before he'd left and she hadn't come to say goodbye at the airport with everyone else. As much as he hadn't wanted to admit it, that in itself had hurt. But he'd forgotten her in Russia. It had been for the best.  
  
For a moment he allowed himself to survey her while he remained out of sight. She'd changed. He knew she would have but he hadn't expected it to be so different and yet so appealing. Her black hair was no longer in a boyish crop around her face but now it cascaded down her mid back like black silk. It felt like it too, he remembered. Now the staright ends looked as though they'd be dipped in liquid gold. It was held back from her face by a thick head band, but still bangs fell over into her ochre eyes. There wasn't another person who had those eyes. He could remember how they suddenly looked when she was aware of his presence or how they'd seem larger and more liquid like when she was aroused, or how they'd narrow and darken when she was annoyed. He drank in her appearance realizing how much he'd missed looking at her.   
  
Her skin was a dusky gold she'd inherited from her mother while the sharp arresting bone structure as well as the tint of rose along those sculpted cheekbones came from her Irish father. Her mouth which was in her familiar half smile was incredibly deceptive. It was small and soft with a ripe lower lip made for sucking on, but it hid a sharp and extremely witty tongue.  
  
His gaze travelled along her neck, there was a spot on the base of her neck and just behind her ear which was incerdibly sensitive, often placing pressure on it would cause her to melt against him, he remembered. His eyes moved to the rest of her body. Amber had never been curvy. She was as slim as a willow with only subtle curves that she preferred to hide beneath baggy clothes. There were a couple of times where he would let his mind wander to uncovering her beneath those bulky sweaters. It was a fantasy he'd never quite fulfilled. Today she didn't disappoint. She was wearing a pair of black trousers which looked to be several sizes to big for her. A navy cap dangled from her hand. She wore a pair of scuffed sneakers, which made him frown. How long had she had those sneakers for?! And she wore a red and pink striped off the shoulder top. Along the front in big, vibrant, red, sparkling letters were the words: "Think what you like about me......as if I care!" Kai had to chuckle, the top suited her attitude, but he was unsure of the colours. Amber as a rule had never worn pink, but then again; he reminded himself; she had changed.  
  
He listened to her as she conversed with Tala. Her voice still had that familiar soft Irish lilt around the ages while she still sounded as though she'd just woken up. It stirred something inside him as he listened. So he was glad when Tala spoke.  
  
"Tahnee can find her own way in, Benny. Come on!"  
  
Amber rolled her amber eyes. "I told her I'd wait."  
  
Kai rose a slate brow. So Amber was still as loyal as ever. She'd always been so when she'd been in Ireland. It had never bothered him, because it had been to him that she'd been loyal. Towards the end he wished that she'd done something so that he could have used that as an excuse to ditch her and maybe feel less guilty about leaving her, but she hadn't.   
  
"Well if your late for induction it won't be my fault."  
  
"Yes Dad!", Amber stuck out her tongue at him. "Besides you're late too."  
  
Tala raised his eyes to heaven. Why on earth did she have to notice everything? And he was winning that battle too. Damn Benny and her quick wittedness. She could think on her feet better than anyone else, which gave him the hint that she'd been involved in verbal wars from a young age. Heck she could hold her own against Oz and Kane, and they didn't take any prisoners when it came to insulting people. Fair enough she'd won their respect so they'd backed off her, Skip Martin on the other hand wasn't so lucky. It didn't matter what that girl did, it seemed that Oz was refusing to leave her alone.  
  
"I had a reason for being late."  
  
"Namely?", the irish girl prompted.  
  
Kai took that as his cue and walked into her vision. He watched her eyes focus on him, then the blood rushed from her face leaving her looking deathly pale.   
  
"Kai.....", she trailed off and shook her head.   
  
She would not let him see her like this. She wouldn't be affected by him again, if it was him. She studied him with narrowed eyes. It looked like Kai Hiwatari; walked like Kai Hiwatari and acted like Kai Hiwatari; so by her deductions it must have been that pompous arrogant prick-hole, Kai Hiwatari. She shuddered as memories she'd locked so efficiently away, came flooding back.  
  
She had been sixteen and totally in love with him, but he mustn't have felt the same way, because the day before he left, he broke her heart like no other; and she promised herself that no one else would ever hurt her like that again. And no one had. Sure Scott had hurt her, but he hadn't wounded her quite as bad as Kai had. He couldn't, because she hadn't loved him like Kai.   
  
Tala was as oblivious to his female friends discomfort as any male friend could be as he began to introduce her ex.   
  
"Amber Benson, this is Kai Hiwatari-"  
  
"We've met.", Kai interrupted smoothly.   
  
Amber's ochre eyes flared for an instant then died into cool disdain. "Have we?", she countered, voice as cold as ice.  
  
The Russian blinked at the coldness in her voice and in her eyes. Never had Amber Benson seemed so cold and unattainable to him, even when she'd been in Ireland. It took him a brief second to recover but he did so.   
  
"No, we mustn't have but it was worth shot.", he offered her a charming smile.  
  
"Kai and I knew each other back in Russia, and now he's come here to study."  
  
Amber nodded keeping a bland smile on her face, it wouldn't do her any good to show him how hurt she was, or how betrayed. She was over that now, had been for a long time. She'd grown up and moved on, and there was no way Kai could change that. So to prove that she was over him, she allowed herself to study him while Tala continued to tell him and her stories of their various pasts, while Kai added his two cents.   
  
He'd changed little over the three years, she mused. His hair was still the same two toned blue, royal blue at the back with slate bangs which was styled into a sexy disarray. His face was still as strong as ever, with the same aristrocratic bone structure and the square jaw, that probably would hurt her fist when she smashed it into him. The skin was a pale soft porcelin, with two blue triangles decorating each side of the jaw. Tatoos he'd gotten at a young age to rebel against his grandfather, she remembered. She'd never seen him without the tats but she'd liked them. They'd made his skin seem somehow smoother and unblemished.   
  
His eyes were deep and fathomless. A deep maghogany which mystified her. She'd once tried to replicate the colour once, but she'd never quite got the shade right. She supposed that was because the shades changed depending on his mood. When he was mellow, they were a chocolate brown, when angry they would become a redder version, while they darkened when he was....... well mostly when he was around her. But she didn't want to think about the reasons why, they'd all been phony anyway.   
  
He had gotten fractionally taller so that he could tower over her easily. His shoulders had broadened and his chest was firm and built. His legs were long, lean and his hips narrow. He was perfectly proportioned, not stocky, yet not skinny. Growing up in had done him some good, she decided, and his clothes did his body justice. He wore a snug black T-shirt, that showed up his pale but strong forearms and biceps. His blue pants fitted him perfectly. It was typical Kai wear, but she refrained from thinking too much on the old Kai.   
  
She snapped out of her survey as she realized that both Russians were staring at her. She glanced up at them, without a hint of shame.   
  
"Something wrong, Benny?"  
  
"Nothing, why do you ask?"  
  
"You weren't listening to me.", he pointed out, while Kai watched her with a smirk.  
  
"Che, since when did you become self centred.", she shot back.   
  
Tala rolled his eyes, then glanced at his watch. "Well quit staring at him and come into induction. Tahnee's a big girl, she can find her own way in."  
  
This time Amber rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "Fine then, but if she starts bitching, I'm blaming you."  
  
"You do that. Kai, if you have to register, head over to the receptionist desk beside the main entrance."  
  
Kai nodded and walked off but not until he'd shot Amber a quick but direct look. One that said we're-gonna-talk-real-soon. She raised a brow and returned his look with a cool steady gaze. Tala watched the interaction with a furrowed brow. Something was definately wrong there, but he didn't dwell on it, if either of them wanted him to know; they'd come to him themselves. Instead he placed an arm round Amber and walked her into the leture theatre.  
  
***  
  
Ruin Mulryan kicked the chair in front of her violently, causing the babbling blond Italien to whip round and glare at her while the Scottish teen a seat away from her laughed at the way she brushed off the glare as though it was an annoying fly.   
  
"Ruin what the hell?"  
  
"Shut up Enrique. If I hear one more thing about you and Midge, I'll throttle you!", she threatened brushing her black/blue bangs out of her chocolate brown eyes.   
  
Enrique Giancarlo scowled and turned away from her to talk to his French friend Oliver. Both boys had met on the plane ride to America in their first year and had been firm friends ever since. Enrique was blonde, blue eyed and a player; well he was until he was snagged by Midge Davis. He was always flirting with girls but he would never dream of straying from Midge, because he loved her. Everyone knew that, besides what other reason would a player like Enrique stay with a girl who was wheelchair bound. He had joined nursing as a way to meet cute girls, that plan obviously fell flat on it's face. He was also well known for his fashion sense. Today he wore a charcoal grey shirt and a pair of cream corduouy slacks, with good leather shoes.  
  
Beside him Oliver Du Pont was listening while adding his own thoughts here and there. His animated face was alive with interest, while his violet eyes never strayed from his friends face. This was one of his reasons for becoming a nurse, he was a very good listener. His hair was lime green, thick but tamed under a blue beret so that it fell gently round his feminine face. He had amazing dress sense, he wore cream pants, a red tight top and a denim jacket. Oliver's reasons for a being a nurse was definitely different from Enrique for being a nurse. He wanted to help people better themselves, it was something he found himself trying to do everyday.   
  
Ruin turned to Johnny, but angled her head even further to look behind her to see who was coming in the door. She sighed when two giggling brunettes walked in. Where the hell was Amber? The girl had been with Johnny and now she was gone. Probably with the Russian ass wipe, she thought sourly. That guy was a bad influence on Amber, heck the guy was a bad influence on everyone.   
  
The door opened again and the lecturers walked in. Ruin groaned. Amber was off to a great start, but it was her own funeral. Everyone began to settle down, then their heads snapped round as the door opened again and too people strode in which was normal enough. What happened next wasn't.  
  
Tala took in everyone looking at him, and rose a brow at Amber who merely shook her head. Then his gaze zeroed in on the one empty chair in the third row from the back between Johnny and Ruin. He cast a look at Amber, realizing that she was no longer there but was shuffling her way past the people sitting in the row towards the empty seat. Tala grinned. There was no way in hell he'd sit in the front row in the middle of the induction. So with that in mind, he stepped up onto the shelf in front of the row of chairs and half walking, half running along it as though it were a tight rope, he made his way effortlessly towards the empty chair.   
  
"Mr Valkov please sit down!", a sharp order came from the director of students.  
  
Tala ignored him and dived into the seat that Johnny held down for him, just as Amber let out a howl of defeat. Ruin snubbed him as he dropped into the chair, and Johnny offered Amber an apologetic smile.  
  
"Miss Benson, there is an empty seat down here, if you would like to sit here."  
  
Amber growled angrily, shooting Tala a dark look she headed down to the front row and threw herself into the seat with a heavy sigh. She caught Skips sympathetic glance but she decided to ignore it. Life sucked, sitting down in the front sucked and Kai Hiwatari was a fucked up bastard. How dare he come back here, especially when she wasjust getting settled down. He would have to come back and stir up old feelings. It was a typical Kai thing to do. She was jerked out of her thoughts when she heard a shuffle behind her, then a snort of laughter.   
  
Tala nudged Johnny giving him a sharp look to shut up, while he nursed his bruised abdomen. Ruin had figured it would be nice to greet him with a jab to the stomach with her elbow, which Johnny found considerably funny. Tala glanced at his ex from the corner of his eye. Her black hair which had once been streaked with red and blue was now just tinted blue with pure royal blue bangs. Her brown eyes were outlined heavily with black liquid liner, and black eye shadow. Her mouth was shaded in with black lipstick while she had to small silver studs; one in her nose, the other below her sculptured eyebrow. She wore a short black skirt and thick chunky black leather boots, while her upper body was clad in a red top under a black leather jacket. It was typical Ruin attire and the sight of her long legs had his mouth watering. But fact was he wasn't able to get his hands on her for the moment, but he'd work round that problem. If he wanted to.  
  
His eyes snapped up when he realized that Johnny was addressing the lecturerers.  
  
"Well I would be playing, but I'm minus a drummer. And a keyboardist would be nice, but I've got neither."  
  
"Well you have the rest of your band right?"  
  
Johnny's gaze passed over Ruin, his moody bassist; his talented guitarist, Skip; and his backing vocals Amber. A slight smirk graced his features. His band was almost completely run over by females. It would be nice to have some more males in his band. But he worked with the best and he figured that if they happened to be girls then he'd deal with it.   
  
"Yeah but I need a drummer, and at this short notice, where am I going to get one?", he raised his voice so that it carried over the murmurs of the crowd of teenage students.   
  
"Actually I might have a drummer and an excellent keyboardist for you.", Tala spoke up drawing a few female glances including Ruins one of distaste.  
  
Johnny shot him a glance. "Cool. But just out of curiousity, where are they coming from? Do you have a magick artist producing hats?"  
  
Tala laughed and near the front of the room he could hear Amber chuckling as well. Seemingly she'd recovered from her annoyance at him. "Yeah I can provide you with them. Just let me talk them round."  
  
"Cool. But they better be good."  
  
"Believe me they're good and they'll fit in with the members well."  
  
"Good, because we'll have to deal with them a lot and I don't want them annoying my current members."  
  
"Well since that's sorted. We'll move on to more pressing business. Johnny I expect your band to be ready to play next week in the canteen at lunch.", Mr Amory stated then turned to introduce another person while the rest of the students groaned.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please review.   
  
**Oh and listen up, my dear friend Sae has posted one chapter of her work and both Tari and I agree that it's worth reading. In other words it's really good. It's like a medival Lord of the Rings meets Starwars type fic with Beyblade characters. So in order to encourage you to read it, please read this snippet.  
  
He felt like surrendering right there and then but still the tiny voice urged him on, warning him of what would happen if he turned himself in. He would be putting millions of lives at risk. He jogged slowly up the stairs taking two at a time and sagging as he couldn't get enough oxygen to his tired muscles. He couldn't go on anymore and finally he fell against the stone cold wall. He placed his back against the smooth expanse of the wall and began sliding himself up the stairs again. He stumbled and fell back but instead of his head slamming into the wall and knocking him out cold it fell into nothing.   
  
He sat up and his head snapped round. There was no wall behind him. His shoulders slumped but he couldn't raise enough energy to examine the hole in the wall or even look up. His eyelids felt heavy and began to droop unceremoniously over his eyes, obstructing his view. He began to inch further down the wall to lie on the cold earthen floor, but he didn't care. He just wanted to sleep.   
  
"Kai Hiwatari, wake up!", A crack resounded in the corridor.   
  
  
  
A sharp sting spread through the left side of his cheek, jerking him out of his solitude. His eyes snapped open to find himself staring a something dull and black, but reflected a shine. He stared at it for what seemed like ages, then noticed it stir. He glanced up and followed the black thing, as it began to slim down and curve and suddenly form hands and a athame. He jerked his head back, smacking it on the wall. He let loose a volley of curses and looked up at the figure standing in front of him. More to the point, a figure clad in the dull black materiel, which he now realized was leather, and was a dress. It flowed out like a ball room gown near the bottom but the top clung to the figure's curves and the sleeves were of a thin black see through material which billowed out so that the hole for the hands were five times the size of her slender wrist and there was a train which was five times the length of the arm. The low neckline was trimmed with fur and showed of a nice amount of smooth porcelain skin unmarred by any blemish.   
  
His gaze traveled up her skin to her face, and collided with startling brown eyes. Eyes like he'd never seen before, wide, heavily lashed and he was sure he could see the stars in them. They were watching him, so he shifted his gaze to take in her face. It was slender with a chipped chin and straight narrow nose and high forehead. Her lips were full and painted black, making the skin paler. Her face was framed by tendrils of long raven black hair. The rest of her hair was piled up high on her head, streaked with vibrant blue and red. She smiled gently. Leaning down she pressed her mouth to his and as soon as she did, Kai felt all the pain and exhaustion leave him, to be replaced by renewed strength and courage.  
  
  
  
"Do not give up, you are so close.", she whispered in his ear.   
  
He stared up at her. Her voice was gentle and feminine, not like the voice he had heard earlier. That voice had been cruel and had delighted in his pain. This woman was helping him. He could trust her.   
  
"Come, you must hurry.", She glanced nervously down the corridor at the stairs. There were men just down there, but they weren't coming any closer.   
  
"Why?", he asked.  
  
"I've placed a seal around here, but hurry you must go. I will hold them off."  
  
He struggled to his feet, inside he was struggling in an internal battle of whether to stay and help her or flee and live to fight another day with the resistance. Unfortunately he didn't get to see which side won, as seeing his inner turmoil, the woman smiled and spoke a simple word and suddenly she was gone. No she wasn't, he was. To an entire different part of the castle. 


	3. Running Away

  
  
Temptations DeniedBy: Zadien   
  
Rated: R   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade. I only own Amber Marie Benson and Ruin Mulryan. Shahero Kaeto belongs to **Coors** and Miyami Kinomiya belongs to **Unlucky-Star**and Aspin Grant belongs to **Animerle** and Arista Belyaevbelongs to **ArcadaAvalon** and Sonia Martini belongs to **SpitfireSae **  
  
Chapter Three: Running Away 

"Who are these people you promised, Taly-baba?"

Tala grinned and tapped a finger to his nose. Amber had been probing him since they'd left the lecture theatre almost 6 hours ago and still he hadn't given in. Now they sat quite comfortable in the quiet corner of the Friars Rest. He was stretched out on the couch, while she was curled up into his side, her head resting on his shoulder as her ochre eyes skimmed the diners. In an hour or so the lights would dim and a live band would be introduced. The rest of the gang were out dancing on the floor. Kai and Miyami were sleeping off their jet lag, or they had been when he'd called over to be met with a very disgruntled Miyami, though she had admitted to being pleased to see him.

The Friars Rest had been renovated over the summer. It had been widened to incorporate a dancing area on a balcony and a large stage, as well as the eatery which was just inside the arch way. The proprietors had really known what they were doing, he mused. They still catered to the average diner but there was now entertainment for all the students who hung out here because there wasn't much else to go to unless you wanted to catch the ten minute train ride into Jade Valley. It was the best of both worlds.

He glanced down as Amber nestled further into him. He caught a few people looking at him, their eyes told him that they thought he and Amber made a cute couple and the idea made him smirk. Him and Amber as a couple. The idea was just wrong. She was like his baby sister and he'd do anything to keep her friendship, he'd never jeopardize it. He'd learnt his lesson with Ruin. Speaking of the Goth, she was avoiding him. It was obvious to anyone. She was off on the other side of the room talking to Lee Tong, one of her closest male friends in the college. Sometimes her gaze would wander over to him but all he would be able to read in her gaze was her absolute hatred to him. It hurt.

Amber shifted and looked up at her male companion. His gaze was far off and he looked troubled. Feeling for him, she placed a hand on his cheek and drew his gaze down to hers. Smiling reassuringly she kissed his forehead in a sisterly manner before resting her forehead against his and laughing.

"C'mon Taly-Baba, lets go shake our booties."

He rolled his eyes but relented and let her pull him to his feet to lead him out to the dance floor. He wondered idly if she noticed the looks she drew like he noticed. She probably didn't. Amber never saw herself the way others did. She looked at personality over looks even when it came to herself. She didn't think she was pretty and that bugged him. What was to bet that there was a boy behind all these insecurities of hers? If he ever met the sorry bastard that had hurt her then he would severely show him what happened to those that upset his Benny-chan.

He winked at a dark haired girl who was dancing with Johnny. Every so often the Scottish boy would lean down to hear what the petite woman was saying and then he'd laugh. The woman was another of their gang. A girl by the name of Shahero Kaeto, another friend of Ambers'. She had shoulder length black hair streaked with silver and cobalt blue eyes which had a cynical glint to them. She was Asian like Mimi and it could be seen in her pale skin and the slant to her eyes, and her size was also a give away. She was often like Amber only more volatile which was why he enjoyed her company. She preferred to use her fists to talk and she hated to be held back from a fight, even if it was to be saved from herself.

He caught sight of the tattoos she had when the strobe light filtered over her. A black rose with falling petals on her shoulder blade and a ring of thorns around the upper part of her right arm which looked as though they'd pierced the skin. Amber had taken one look at it and wanted one herself. It was all he could do to persuade her not too, but then Amber went through with the piercing of her lower lip much to his chagrin and Shahero's delight. What was it with the women who were closest to him having the need to pierce and decorate themselves? Ruin had a tattoo of a black spider on her upper thigh and a Celtic ring around her upper right arm much like Shahero's'.

She too was an avid hater of skirts and lover of skateboards, which was unlike Amber because the Irish girl preferred her rollerblades, which reminded him of his friend Arista Belyaev, Mimi's cousin who he'd been friends with back in Russia but she'd moved to America ages ago. He kept in contact with her via email a couple of times a year, like e-cards for birthdays and Christmas and just general newsletters. But he hadn't seen her in ages. He kind of missed her, she had the most interesting mind and pranks were always fun to carry out with Arista.

He glanced down as Amber clapped her hands with delight and beamed at Shahero who smiled back. He frowned and was about to comment when a few bars cut through his hearing and he understood what she was so happy about. _'INME'_. It was a band Amber had been hyped up about all last year, some guys from England and she was an avid fan of them, though none of them knew who they were but the songs grew on you. It was the same kind of music as _'Lost Prophets'_ another band Amber had heard of first and got them into so they were huge fans by the time the second album came round.

I don't know how to fit inside,

All you do is try and leave me behind,

I don't know what to do,

something's killing me,

And I don't know how to turn you on,

All you do is try and lead me on,

I don't know what to do,

Something here is telling me to kill you,

Amber began to sing the lyrics and he could hear her Celtic voice working with the gravelly voice of the band.

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's falling perfect fumes,

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's broken,

Johnny too was singing, he could hear his voice as well, and Shahero. Tala shook his head. He didn't sing, didn't like it much and preferred to listen to the lyrics rather than sing them.

I don't know how to leave this life,

All I have is maybe suicide,

I don't know what to do,

Something's killing me,

I don't know how to reach the top,

All you do is try to scrape me off,

I don't know what to do,

something here is telling me to kill you,

His turquoise eyes roamed over the students dancing and made out Ruin who was watching from the side lines. Ruin. He sighed watching her. He would really have to make things up with her, but for the moment he'd concentrate on his other friends. Ruin wasn't that important right?

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's falling perfect fumes,

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's broken,

Amber and Shahero switched partners and bounced about the floor as though they were high which none of them were. Apart from high on life. It made both guys laugh at how much energy they had when neither could wake up in the mornings. They seriously came alive at night.

Never meant to hurt you, hurt you,

Never meant to hurt you, hurt,

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's falling perfect fumes,

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's broken, It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

It's falling perfect fumes,

It's all gone wrong, It's all gone wrong,

And I can't lose such a life

From the balcony a pair of light auburn eyes watched the dark haired girls dancing, one in particular and when the song ended and she moved away from the bright red head, he followed her from above. She walked off the dance floor and down the small corridor too the bathrooms. He followed her at an easy pace, goose bumps rolling over his pale skin when he reached the cool corridor with the white walls and sea blue stencils of waves and swirls. He shivered slightly. It was a lot warmer in the crush of people, even standing above them it was warmer, but he figured things would heat up very soon as soon as he caught up to the dark haired girl.

He rounded the corner and was forced up against the wall. He smirked as he looked down into dark sapphire blue eyes. He raked his gaze down her petite form and the smirk deepened to reach his eyes filling them with a dark knowledge because he knew what was about to happen.

Shahero grinned up at Hitoshi Kinomiya. She'd felt him watching her when she'd been dancing and had caught his reflection in the mirrored walls. She'd known that when she left her friends, he'd follow just like he'd been doing for the past couple of months. She smirked. Everyone thought that the pair of them hated each other, but it was all an act. It had been a mistake at first, just the pair of them getting caught up in the moment, but then after one night of blissful, mind numbing sex they'd agreed that it was too good to be a one time thing. So the relationship made up of no strings attached sex began with the cardinal rule, they were free to see other people but if they needed the other then the other would make him/her self available. The arrangement worked perfectly for both of them.

I know you look like your innocent baby

I know you tell all your friends that you hate me

But every weekend you're at it like crazy

You and me.

She chuckled as the lyrics from the song echoed down the corridor. It suited the pair of them to a T. She ran her gaze down the man before her. Hitoshi Kinomiya, third year law student, and regular pain in the ass with his complete and utter arrogance. But that didn't detract from his undeniable hotness. His hair was stone blue and fell down past his shoulders, tied back, with spiked bangs that fell into intense light auburn eyes which seared her with his gaze. His face was chiseled and darkly male, gorgeous. And his strength was evident under her fingers as they moved over his chest feeling the subtle muscles ripple and tense under his black shirt. His arms were locked round her tiny waist holding her close to him but not crushing her. She leaned up on her tip toes to tug on his lower lip and was pleased to see his gaze darken.

"You know stalking is in an illegal offence in most states." she told him.

"Mm-hmm. So is engaging in a sexual act in a public place, doesn't stop you."

She chuckled and pulled his mouth down to hers, melting instantly when his taste flooded her senses. She welcomed the probing of his tongue as he tried to explore every corner of her mouth. She moaned softly and strained against him desperate to feel him against her. He groaned pulling her closer, slipping his hands under her top to feel her skin against his which sent a tingling sensation up his arms, making goose bumps roll over his skin but this time it had nothing to do with the cold. Her hands slid into his hair and pulled out the tie so it fell around his shoulders so that she could play with it.

She pulled away breathless and looked round. "Maybe we should move this somewhere with a little more privacy."

He smirked and let her walk away from him watching the sway of her subtle hips as she did. He waited a few minutes before he chased after her. He entered the small room she'd gone into and flicked the lock behind him and in that moment she was plastered against him, her mouth feeding of his, as he eagerly pulled her closer. His hands ran down her top and slid under and up to fondle her breast while the other hand slid around to the small of her back to keep her close.

He broke the kiss to cruise his lips along her jaw line and smirked at her sharp intake of breath before she released it on a soft moan. Her head leaned back against the wall as her eyes rolled back in her head. The burning sensation of Hitoshi's fingers touching her bare skin was enough to have her head spinning. Her heart was racing and she was losing all her senses as her vision blurred when he made his way down her neck, nipping, biting, sucking and licking alternately at selected spots down the column of her throat. He bit her collar bone hard enough to mark the skin but not break it. She gasped and her head stretched back as her own hands claimed his body as hers for the night as she ran her fingers over his chest and wash board stomach. Her breathing became labored and her eyes fluttered closed as his touches caused her skin to heat up.

He moved back to her lips and plundered her warm mouth. Her senses clouded and her body melted at the desperate force of the kiss which had her mind reeling. Her knees buckled and she was sure she would have crumbled to the floor if it wasn't for Hitoshi lifting her off the ground keeping his hands on her firm butt. Her legs wrapped round him instinctively and her hands moved lower making him groan as she ground her hips against his.

He couldn't get enough of her taste, and every part of her tasted different and made him crave her more and more. She was a flavor that he was fastly becoming addicted to and when he couldn't taste her he suffered from withdrawal. He knew that his feelings towards her were changing, but he wasn't going to risk her leaving him by confessing his feelings to he. But he feared being around her, being so steeped in her that the words tumbled out against his will.

He groaned as she parted from him and butterfly kissed her way down his throat, to the crevice between his collar bone and shoulder. She lapped at the skin there, enjoying the sounds she drew from him with each time she altered what she was doing. She could feel his arousal pressed against her and her fingers moved lower to the button of his jeans...

Her cell sang through the small cramped room and he cursed as he dropped her unceremoniously on her butt. Her head whipped up to glower at him, even as she pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. Frustrated she shoved her hair out of her face and punched the answer button aggressively, as Hitoshi paced a little away from her muttering under his breath. She ignored him and concentrated on slowing her breathing.

"Hey did the toilet swallow you or something?"

Amber's voice came through loud enough for Hitohsi to hear her. He inwardly cursed the petite Irish girl. He could almost swear she knew what was going on. It was usually her that interrupted his brief moments with _his_ woman. She got Shahero more times than he did, she could at least have the courtesy to wait until they were finished. He sighed heavily, raking his hand through his hair before deciding to tie it up knowing that Shahero wasn't going to stay much longer. It annoyed him that he wanted her to stay with him, that he wanted her to choose him over her friends. It was supposed to be no strings sex, just for them to use each other if they needed to but that wasn't enough for him anymore. He couldn't stand watching other guys being around her or touching her even if they were her friends. There was no such thing as a platonic friendship, especially when it concerned a girl who looked like Shahero. He wanted to claim her as his, to show all those guys that she belonged to _him_ and _no one_ else. No one else was good enough for her.

"...Yeah sure I'll be out in a sec or so. Ok?" her voice cut through his thoughts as she finished up her call to her over concerned and might he point out, very annoying friend.

"I'll see you later." he muttered heading for the door.

"Hey." he paused to look at her and she smiled at him and he felt like melting. "We'll finish this some other time, ok?"

"Yeah sure."

She frowned but said nothing. She knew there was something bothering him, but they weren't going out, hell they weren't even friends so it was none of her business. She smiled and watched him shake his head before he walked out of the closet while she set about fixing her top to make sure that she didn't look as though she'd just been ravaged by an incredibly hot guy. Exhaling loudly she followed him out and took a quick look round to make sure she hadn't been seen then she walked down the corridor to find her friends.

* * *

"Tyson it doesn't work that way!" Amber tried desperately to explain to her friend but he was stubbornly refusing to listen to her. She rolled her eyes.

Tyson ignored the petite Irish girl and continued to drink his drink how he liked it. "Where's Shahero?"

She shrugged. "No clue. Oh yay it's your brother."

He chuckled at the lack of enthusiasm that dripped from those words. He lifted his gaze to take in his brother who was sitting by the bar. He leaned in closer to whisper something into a familiar brunettes' ear causing her to laugh. Tyson's eyes narrowed. "What does he have that I don't?" he demanded as the brunette moved closer to his older brother.

"A cavity in his chest." Amber muttered.

"A six pack." Shahero added as she slid into the booth beside them causing Tyson to check his waist and Amber to laugh. Her sapphire blue eyes twinkled as she watched Tyson, but they dimmed considerably as her gaze latched on to Hitoshi who was now stroking the back of the Brunettes' neck. She growled, grateful for the loud music which drowned it out. He'd just been with her and now he was moving in on some brunette?! And right in front of her too. Her features darkened. Then they visibly relaxed as he tossed a look over to their table and his gaze locked with hers making a slight smirk play on his lips as he moved closer to the brunette. Oh so that was the game he was playing, well two could play it.

"Come on Tyson."

Tyson tore his gaze from his abdomen to look at the dark haired Asian girl standing over him. "Huh? Where are we going?"

"You and me are going to dance."

"Uh... ok sure. But don't stand on my toes, I have delicate feet."

"Cut the wise man act and let's go. See ya Ams."

Amber watched them leave puzzled. "Um... okie bye."

She slouched in her chair and looked around. She was on her own. Tala was dancing with some girl, she didn't know her name. Johnny was... well he disappeared a while ago and she didn't know where to. Sonia hadn't come out. Her friend Aspin Grant was out with her boyfriend Kane Suzoru. Ruin was at the bar talking to her friend Robert Jurgen who did Law. Robert and Amber had a sort of animosity, though she didn't know why but they tended to stay out of each others way. Oliver was dancing with Max as they usually tended to do. No real reason for it, just that no one else wanted to dance so they danced with each other. Enrique was with his girlfriend Midge. Bethan and Michael were slow dancing. The rest hadn't turned up.

Stirring her drink with her straw, she allowed her gaze and mind to wander. She'd accepted Tala's invitation for a night out because it meant she wouldn't have to think about Kai and so far she'd been successful in _not_ thinking about him. Until now. He was always at the back of her mind, even before she'd laid eyes on him. She blamed him for stupid things like her insecurities. If someone asked her why she was the way she was, she blamed it on the bad break up she had when she was sixteen. It was stupid and childish to blame him for everything, but she didn't care. He had caused a lot of her insecurities. Scott had just built on them. She wasn't going to let another man do that to her. She wasn't going to be hurt like that again. It was foolish, but that was the way she felt. She'd been hurt too much and she didn't think it could be fixed easily. It wasn't as though she could wave a wand and have all the pain and fears go away. It didn't work like that. She needed time to heal and that was part of the reason she came to America, but now that plan was bust and it was Kai's fault.

He was determined to never let her forget him, he was determined to destroy her. Did he hate her that much? She had never given him cause to hate her. Sure she'd been mean when he'd first came, but she'd intended to go on holiday with her friends but those plans had to be cancelled when he had arrived. She'd been furious and so she'd taken it out on him, but she'd apologized. In fact she'd been nice to him and in love with him.

She sighed wistfully. He'd been her first love. What a stupid fool she was falling for some one like him. She deserved what she got, she supposed. Falling for a player was always stupid.

She raised a brow as she caught sight of Shahero and Tyson dancing. If you could even call it that. It was more like a mating dance than anything. She could see that both of them were just messing, but there was just something to the way Shahero was dancing with him that made her uneasy. Then her gaze fell on Hitoshi who was glaring at them. Now that was interesting, was Hitoshi jealous of his brother? She supposed there was plenty of reason for it. Shahero was gorgeous and had a lot of guys after her; including stalkers and weirdoes who serenaded her at 6 in the fucking morning. Of course that guy had ended up with a bucket of frigid water over his head courtesy of Aspin and Shahero, while she'd sat back and filmed it all. He was just lucky Ruin wasn't sleeping in their apartment at the time; she'd probably have shot him.

She leaned back in the booth and rested her head on her folded arms only reopening her eyes when she felt someone watching her. She looked up and through the crowd. Her gaze met with the heated gaze of Kai Hiwatari as he made his way towards her. Her mouth dried and she had to swallow painfully. Lifting her drink she sipped it and wetted her mouth. _What was he doing? _she wondered anxiously as his gaze raked down her. He obviously seemed to like what he was seeing because he smiled appraisingly. She responded with an icy look. She wasn't a piece of meat for him to admire when he felt like it.

She sighed relieved when she caught sight of Johnny and Miyami making their way through the crowd behind him. At least she'd have back up if he joined her.

"Hey Sae."

She rolled her eyes at Johnny. "Hey Brave Heart." She caught the low growl and laughed. "Aw poor you, lay off with the nick name and I'll stop calling you ridiculous Scotland references."

He nodded and dropped into the seat opposite her, motioning for Miyami to take one herself. "Hey Amber."

"Hey." Amber greeted the silver haired girl with a warm smile, ignoring the tall man who was watching her with interest.

Miyami frowned at the way Kai was looking at the Irish teen. He never showed much of an interest in girls, sure he was a player he just never was interested in them as a person. But there was something in the way he was looking at her that made her frown. Was there something between Kai and Amber? After all he had been in Ireland at one stage but the chance of him being in the same place as the girl he was staring at, was next to nothing. Right?

"Kai this is Tyson and Johnnys' friend Amber, Amber this is my friend and flat mate Kai."

"Yeah we've met." Kai told her, repeating the same phrase from earlier that morning, and remembering her response Amber smirked.

Johnny cast her a curious look. "Uh... yeah seemingly he's Tala's friend."

"You know Tala?" Miyami wondered interested.

"Know him? The two of them are practically inseparable." Johnny jumped in.

Miyami glanced up at Kai. "Gee Kiki, seems Tala's replaced you."

Kai smirked as he languidly ran his gaze down his ex. She looked better than this morning. If that was possible. She wore a cotton top with the word 'Hot' in flaming letters across the slightest swell of her chest. The top ended just above her midriff so when she leaned back, the top inched up to bare a tantalizing piece of golden flesh which looked as smooth as satin. He moved his gaze from it and the desire to just run his fingers over that stretch of skin lessened. Instead he briefly looked at what she was covering her legs with, a pair of tight jeans which showed the subtle slope of her hips and the slender shape of her legs. She looked casual; yet still looked dressed up. So in other words what she wore suited where she was. Her hair was in it's usual pony tail which hung down her back and she wore no make up that he could see.

He averted his gaze to her mouth. A familiar habit of his. He'd always enjoyed watching her talk and he got plenty of opportunities, the girl hardly shut up even when she wasn't being spoken to she'd make a comment either to someone else or herself. But he liked the way her mouth moved, the way her lips curled on various words depending on her tone. And how her face would become animated when she was passionate about something or when she was with her friends. That was why they had been so good together. He hadn't had felt the need to talk unless he had something to say and he never portrayed emotions, so he could sit there content and watch her babble away about something.

She glanced over to him and her gaze collided with his and he read the annoyance in her eyes though she kept her face relatively neutral. But he didn't miss how her face completely brightened when Tala walked up and dropped into the chair beside her. A glowing green kernel of jealousy rose just under his heart making his expression darken.

"So you finished making Ruin jealous?" she asked.

Tala smirked lazily. "Me making the ice queen jealous? I don't think so."

Both Amber and Johnny shook their heads at him and then both looked up as Shahero slid into the booth, both breathless from dancing. Shahero looked round the table at the new members.

"Um... hi." she said turning to Miyami.

"Oh Shahero this is my cousin Miyami Kinomiya, and that's Kai Hiwatari."

"Nice to meet y'all."

Amber nudged Shahero. "What was with you and Tyson on the dance floor?"

"What do you mean?"

"The innocent act doesn't fool me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Me and Tyson were just having fun."

"Well you succeeded in making Hitoshi jealous."

Shahero looked at her sharply; casting a glance around to make sure no one had heard her Irish friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Amber shrugged. "Nothing, I just noticed him staring at you and he looked kind of jealous."

"Oh did he? Well serves him right flirting with another girl in front of Tyson."

Miyami looked from one girl to the other. She had heard the conversation reasonably well since she wasn't paying attention to the boys talk about something or other and her interest had been peaked when she heard them mention Hitoshi. Couldn't be too many Hitoshi's in Bakuten.

"You guys talking about Hitoshi Kinomiya?"

Amber nodded puzzled, then brightened. "Right you're his cousin. Tell me is he as annoying to family members as he is to the rest of the world?"

Miyami nodded. "If I could kill him, I would. The guy thinks he's so much better than everyone else. And he's a horrible cousin. He once fed me a shovel full of sand."

Amber muffled her chuckles behind a hand. "Oh that's horrible."

"Yep that's why I call him a horrible cousin."

Shahero smirked and sought out the afore mentioned man in the crowd. He was sitting at a table with the brunette and some of her friends and he looked bored out of his mind. "Yeah he sounds like one anyway."

"Who are you talking about?" Johnny butted into the conversation sliding closer to Miyami, who looked at him bemused, but didn't move away.

"My cousin Hitoshi."

"What ever they have suggested don't listen to them." Tala advised earning a curious look from both Miyami and Kai. "Amber and Shahero regularly decide to ambush people, what do you two call it?"

Amber's hands shot up. "Hey leave me out of this, they're not my ideas. It's Heros' doing, I just tag along and if I happen to hit someone it's an added bonus."

"Not for the person who you hit."

"Oh quit your whining, Shahero hits way harder than I do, besides I mainly just hold them down."

"Unless it's your revenge plot." Shahero countered. "Then again, thinking about it, you don't generally count beating people up in your revenge plots. They're usually a lot more vicious."

"Like the itching powder one." Johnny remembered with a chuckle. "Poor Harvey couldn't lecture he was so busy scratching hid hands and face."

"Shouldn't have given me a D then." Amber defended herself.

Shahero snickered. "I wish I'd seen his face."

Amber grinned. "So do I, it would have been so funny."

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Miyami stated.

"Nah, I like you too much to use itching powder on you. You'd have to do something really terrible to deserve the itching powder treatment." she flicked her gaze to Kai and she smirked as his burning gaze studied her. "But the next time I go on a rampage, you can come with, right Hero?"

"Right, the more the merrier." her gaze slid to Hitoshi who happened to look up at the same time. She flicked the tip of her tongue over her lower lip before turning back to her friends, but not before she noted how his eyes darkened.

"Oh, Johnny come on."

Johnny jerked his head up to look at his Irish friend. "What?"

"The stage is free and we have to sing, it's like tradition!" she stated with jerking gestures of her hands.

Johnny groaned. "I don't wanna."

"Don't be an ass. Come on, please. You know I can't go up there on my own."

"I'll go up with you." Shahero offered.

"Me too." Miyami added.

"Wow I'm beginning to like you a lot."

"Unfortunately I don't swing that way, I like my red heads too much."

Ambers' shoulders slumped as she mock sighed depressed. "I don't think I can take the heart ache." she wailed tragically causing the others to snicker.

"I'll go up with you."

Her ochre eyes pinned Kai and she struggled to think of something as his eyes bore through her. "Ah no, it's ok. It's um... no you don't have to."

He grinned at her enjoying how he flustered her. He knew she was trying to keep her cool and not let her friends know how much him being there bothered her, but he knew her. After all this time, he could still read her and he was fed up being ignored by her. She may have pretended to not know him, but he was damned if he was going to let her continue in that way. Besides, making Amber annoyed was always fun. She was undeniably attractive when she was pissed at him.

"We'll need a drummer Ams, and Kai is one hell of a drummer." Miyami pointed out reasonably, her suspicions were correct it seemed; there was something between her and him.

"Oh so this is the drummer you promised me." Johnny stated turned to Tala who winced, having not told Kai to deal yet.

Amber froze and looked from Kai to Tala. "What?"

"Oh Johnny needs a drummer Kai, and since you can drum I was thinking you could..."

"Whose in the band?"

"Me, Sonia, Ruin, Ams, Shahero sometimes."

"I have things to do which correspond with the gigs."

Johnny nodded at Shahero. "Yeah, yeah." he turned back to Kai. "So that's basically it. Me on guitar and lead vocals, Sonia on guitar, Ruin on bass and Ams on backing vocals."

Kai let his gaze roam to Amber who was watching him with wide eyes. "Sure."

She winced visibly as the others welcomed him to the band. _'Fuck'_, she thought silently screaming the word in her mind. _'Fucking asshole. Why?!'_

"Hey wait I thought Sonia said she'd be quitting the band." Shahero announced thoughtfully.

Amber cringed and hissed as Johnny exploded. "What?!" he rounded on Amber. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well..." she laughed nervously. "It...ah...oh crudder cakes."

She winced as Shahero punched her arm. "That's my word."

"We have this fight far too often. Okies here's the deal, your words are my words; my words are your words. Got it?"

The dark haired Asian girl shrugged boredly. "What ever."

"Could you two have this fight later. Is Sonia quitting or not?"

"Yes." Amber barked annoyed at his abrupt tone.

"Why?"

"Her duties to the track team, as student council member, her studies and her soccer team. Which reminds me, you playing this year Shahero?"

Her friend shrugged again. "I dunno, I was thinking of seeing how the hockey team fairs up. If they're are more girls this time, then I'll join."

"I'll join."

"Miyami you are definitely earning brownie points here."

"I was kicked out of Brownies' or whatever their equivalent was."

"What did you do?"

"I liked the badges better on my school bag and I revamped the uniform."

Amber laughed. "I quit before they could throw me out, I pulled another girls hair and she hated me ever since." They all started as Johnny growled. "Johnny calm down."

"Calm down?! I'm out of a guitarist and all you can think of is brownies and sports."

Amber rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Keep your knickers on."

"I can play the guitar."

Johnny looked at Miyami as if she was a gift from God. "You can?"

"Well yeah."

"Great you can double as a keyboardist and a guitarist."

"Does she get a say in this?" Shahero wondered

"Shut up."

"Well I wanna sing now." they watched as Amber got to her feet and headed to the stage. "Oh and Kai, don't bother coming up. Tyson can drum for me."

Kai watched her go with a slight growl as the others headed up with her. The only ones left were him and Tala.

"What's the deal with you and Amber? I've never seen her so openly hostile to someone."

"That wasn't her being openly hostile, that was her being subtle."

"Really?"

"None of your other friends noticed that."

"None of them know Benny like I do, we clicked when we first met. Can't really imagine a life without her now. She's too important to me."

Kai sighed. He'd felt that way when he'd met her and gotten to know her. But he'd had a life without her and it hadn't been that great but he'd survived and he'd forgotten about her. But there had to be a reason he'd met her all over again. Had to be. He would have smiled at that. He wasn't a man to believe in destiny but he wanted her. Just looking at her had his gut clenching with need. Maybe what he needed from her was closure.

"Hey everyone hope you're enjoying tonight."

They looked up as Johnny's voice came over through the speakers. The students who recognized them cheered while everyone stopped what they were doing to see what was going on.

"Thank you. I'm Johnny and I'll be your lead guitarist tonight. Ladies feel free to throw your underwear onto the stage if you wish. On my left we have the delectable Miyami on bass, and the volatile Shahero on guitar and little Amber on vocals."

"I ain't little." she pouted stubbornly making the crowd laugh.

"Whatever you think. And our little drummer boy is Tyson. Don't put your hand near his mouth, because he might eat it." again more laughter. It was clear Johnny was in his element on the stage. "Ams has chosen the first song. Don't ask me why. It's called Running Away."

He lifted the acoustic guitar and started to play the first bars as Amber stepped up to the mic and her voice drifted out.

"I don't want you to give it all up/ And leave your own life collecting dust/ And I don't want you to feel sorry for me/ You never gave us a chance to be." her eyes instinctively sought Kai out in the crowd. This song was the one she'd played to herself so many times when he'd left. She felt it summed up their relationship perfectly.

Tyson and the others cut in with their own instruments to give the song more force.

"And I don't need you to be by my side/ To tell me that everything's alright/ I just wanted you to tell me the truth/ You know I'd do that for you"

Shahero strummed her guitar to life to quicken the tempo for the chorus.

"So why are you running away?/Why are you running away?/Cause I did enough to show you that I/Was willing to give and sacrifice/And I was the one who was lifting you up/ When you thought your life had had enough-"

Johnny lifted his mouth to mic to accompany Amber's own, their voices melding together from months of practice.

"And when I get close, you turn away/There's nothing that I can do or say/So now I need you to tell me the truth/You know I'd do that for you."

Tala watched the emotions pour over Amber's face and out through her voice and her eyes never moved from their table. What the hell was going on? he wondered.

"So why are you running away?/ Why are you running away?/ Is it me, is it you/ Nothing that I can do/ To make you change your mind."

She sighed and lifted the mic from it's stand and moved forward on the stage, her eyes solely on Kais'

"Is it me, is it you/ Nothing that I can do/ Is it a waste of time?/ Is it me, is it you/ Nothing that I can do/ To make you change your mind Ohh-hooo!

He looked away unable to hold her gaze. It hurt, he knew he'd hurt her. He hadn't meant to, it had been for her own good. Their own good. But still... this song hit a little close to home.

"So why are you running away?/ Why are you running away?"

She left the others to sing the chorus as she continued with her own part of the song.

"... What is it I've got to say... (So why are you running away?) ... To make you admit you're afraid... (Why are you running away?)" 

The music died down to rapturous applause. Amber turned away so they couldn't see the tears that filled her eyes. Stepping down of the stage, she ignored the calls for another song and instead fled out into the night. This time it was she who was running away.

Well there ya go after such a long wait I give you chapter three. I hope you liked it. Sorry about the long wait. But I've been working on my other fics. Here's a preview of Smells like Team Spirit:

"Oh crap."

Johnny and Miyami regarded her curiously. "What?"

Amber giggled nervously and clasped her hands together as she watched the tall Russian make his way towards her slowly and deliberately. "Spence is going to kill me?"

Miyami tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Because I drew a smiley face on the collar of his shirt in bright luminous pink and never told him."

Johnny choked on his drink and nodded gratefully when Miyami slapped his back for him. When he recovered he looked at the dark haired girl. "Pink?"

"What? It looked pretty at the time." she smiled but the smile was weak and soon disappeared as her expression darkened. "Besides, I walked around with a library stamp -which said 'property of the library', on my leg for a whole day because of him and Ian."

Shahero grinned. "Actually that was my idea."

"Bad idea to tell her that Sen, she'll have you wearing a pink smiley face next time your back is turned." Ozuma warned as his cousin nodded her head eagerly.

The dark haired Asian girl shrugged and turned back to her meal, pushing the leftovers round on the plate.

"AMBER!"

"Hi Spencer."

"Don't 'hi Spencer' me. Do I or do I not have a pink smiley face on my shirt?"

"Well it's not really smiling because you moved, so it's more a confused face."

Exasperated Spencer stared at her, then glowered at Johnny and Ozuma who were snickering quietly at him. "What?!"

"You have pink hair." Miyami informed him sweetly.

"What?"

Amber covered her face and attempted to smother her giggles at her doomed future.

"Amber do I have pink hair?"

"Well I had to make sure the pen worked so..." she trailed off to giggles as he began to frantically check for strands of pink while the ones at the other table who'd noticed the pink but decided not to tell him, laughed at him.

If you want to know what happened to cause Amber to draw a pink smiley face then you have to read people. Please, 'Smells like Team Spirit' is a good fic, it has lots of rivalry and ice hockey. And it's funny.


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